ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday decided to put on hold its decision to enhance the fine for speeding on motorways and highways hours after transporters across the country went on a strike in protest against the hefty fines.
Responding to a point of order during the National Assembly session, Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said that the proposal to enhance traffic fines does not aim at increasing revenue but to protect the lives of innocent people on motorways and highways.
He said this policy will be implemented after taking all stakeholders into confidence and thorough briefing on media.
For the last many days, transport owners have been protesting against a massive increase in rates of fines on various violations at all toll plazas on highways and motorways. The increase ranges from Rs500 to Rs10,000 on various violations.
On Monday, the transport owners had warned of the strike if their demands were not accepted.
“We have been suffering from the highhandedness of Customs Department also whose teams continue disturbing us by stopping our vehicles on roads, checking goods, wasting time and energy and imposing heavy fines besides registering cases against us,” Public & Goods Transport Alliance Chairman Asmatullah Niazi had said on Monday.
